Authorities have launched an investigation after 38 people died in a mental hospital fire outside of Moscow.
The blaze is the latest fire-related tragedy in the country. It’s estimated that around 12,000 people died last year as a result of poor safety regulations .
President Vladimir Putin called for a thorough investigation into the fire that claimed the lives of 38 people at the mental hospital in the village of Ramensky. Regional authorities are urged to pay more attention to regulations in the wake of the tragedy.
It’s currently being reported that firefighters took nearly an hour to reach the hospital after the call was placed. Since the ferry that would take them across the canal was closed, rescuers had to find an alternate route to the scene of the blaze.
By the time firefighters arrived at the facility, there was little they could do to save the people who were trapped inside the building.
Many of the patients who died in the fire are believed to have been under heavy sedation. Investigators said that 36 patients and two nurses died in their rooms. No bodies were found in the hallways after the blaze had been contained.
“The rooms where the patients were found had no doors through which they could have left the building under their own power,” spokeswoman Irina Gumennaya. However, some officials have stated that none of the doors were locked.
It’s being reported that 41 people were housed at the facility outside of Moscow. A nurse and two patients are the only people who survived the fire.
Although some sources are stating that an electrical short may have started the fire, others have stated that the blaze may have been caused by a lit cigarette. An investigation into tragedy is currently underway.
Authorities are expected reevaluate their safety regulations after 38 people died in a mental hospital in Ramensky.
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